What a great post!  Your bread is stupendous looking. Perfection in every area.

Your list of Notes is reflective of knowledge learned the hard way, the best kind. Good to see you back JoeVa

Eric

Ho scoperto questo tuo spazio per caso attraverso i soliti giri di links tra un sito e l'altro. Non sono un esperto panificatore e nemmeno un grande cuoco, la mia passione verso la cucina è scattata molto tardi, quasi per gioco, ma una cosa c'è l'ho sempre avuta nel sangue, un'attrazione viscerale per i lievitati, per i profumi e gli aromi che si sviluppano in cottura, per la tonalità di colori morbidi e dorati di cui si rivestono e, da quando, molto timidamente, ho iniziato a lavorare con gli impasti, per quel rapporto intimo che ha un che di magico che si instaura tra la pelle delle mani e gli ingredienti mentre si impasta. Quando ho visto le foto di questo pane, i colori, le alveolature, la consistenza della crosta, ho provato un'emozione fortissima e non sono riuscito a trattenere una lacrima che è scesa inaspettata. A qualcuno potrà sembrare una reazione esagerata ma sono sicuro che, vedendo quello che fai, tu potrai capire. Ora sono curiosissimo di studiarmi attentamente anche gli altri tuoi lavori, che il bello della rete è questo clima di confronto e condivisione che mi ha permesso in poco tempo di imparare e scoprire tante di quelle cose di cui fino a poco prima ero all'oscuro. Scusa se mi sono dilungato tanto ma sentivo l'esigenza di esprimerti la mia stima. Sto portando avanti timidamente e nei ritagli di tempo un piccolo blog in cui scrivo delle mie "disavventure" in cucina, è veramente una piccola cosa ma se vuoi passare a vederlo mi farebbe piacere.

http://lacaloriasolitaria.blogspot.com/

Stunning loaf, JoeVa!  All that hard work paid off.

Susan from San Diego

Thank you for bringing that gorgeous loaf with you!

Sylvia

Giovanni, what a big difference between those two loaves---did you pick up some tips in Paris? Beautiful!

Good to see you back :-)
Debbie

HI Joe,

What a gorgeous "first" loaf!  The blistering, the color, the grigne, the crumb, all look perfect.  I wouldn't judge it to be anything but spectacular!

Happy to see you posting again, and thanks for sharing with us all your hard-earned lessons. I find all your posts to be really inspiring.

Barbara

Gorgeous loaf and spectacular crumb! And that's a 65% hydration bread?

David

I think not. That is a beautiful sourdough! Forget what you thrashed.  The crumb of your latest loaf is nothing short of spectacular.

I now believe you - if you are still saying the flavour of your absolutely gorgeous looking loaf is "mediocre," it is the flour that you used, that is not to your taste.   I have no doubt that anyone would love to have your loaf; I know I would!   

If I were you, I would test organic flour that use stone-milling technique, that is to your taste and standard.  Not all flours are the same.  Same organic, same milling technique, same species of wheat barriers even, but how do we know if they are the same?  No, we don't, not until we test it in our kitchen!

An outstanding looking loaf just the same!

Shiao-Ping

Beautiful Loaf.. Yumy, i can smell it through the pics..

BTW, don't thrash your not so perfect loaves, they make for a great toast you know. I have toasted much worst loaves, and they still tatse great. I believe bread is a blessing, don't waste it.

Good baking, nice tips too,

Thanks Giov.

Hi Giovanni,  Welcome back, missed you and your wonderful breads.  I can feast on your bread with my eyes even if you find it lacking to your taste.

Salma

Beautiful loaf, Giovanni!

And that was so nice to meet you at Europain a week ago :-)

Have a nice day and keep on baking.

PS: I agree with Shiao-Ping and you, finding good flours is most important.

PS2: when a bread is not too good, at home, I usually make croûtons with : I rub the bread slices with fresh garlic, put them in a hot skillet that contains some (good organic) olive oil, and then a little fleur de sel (one of the finest sea salt from Guérande, in France). When the croûtons are ready (nicely toasted), they go into a huge fresh salad or on top of a nice fresh vegetable soup, we all love them.

Thanks.  What an inspiration. 

I have discovered that to me, there are three "t"s that are nearly as important as the ingredients.  Time, Temperature and Technique.  Good luck on your flour quest.  I am not happy with my flour either, but maybe there's a magic mix out there that will make me happy.  I only bake with flour, water and salt.  The think the "wild yeast" is exciting.

Thanks again for the inspirational photographic share, and your thoughts as well.

:-Paul

Hi Joe,

I'm a little confused as to what exactly you mean by the term "pre-fermented flour" as in the following passage:

The bread I baked was based on Shiao-Ping suggestions with the obvious adjustment you have to do every time you bake, with different ingredients and conditions: 85% bread flour, 10% whole wheat, 5% rye. 65% overall hydration. 25% prefermented flour (100% hydration white levain).

If you were formulating a recipe starting with 1000 grams of total flour and 650 grams of water, what would the rest of the  formula look like?

Thanks so much.

Barbara

I must have missed this the first time around, but thanks for the detailed clarification.  

Barbara